Alpino Detroit

Had dinner with reservation on a Sunday. Parking was easy to find as the restaurant has its own lot. The interior is designed nicely, trying to give an impression of alpine ambience- I bet the fireplace is a great element in winter.

Since it was a reservation we texted (which I found a nice way of communicating) with someone from the restaurant about seating (2adults 1toddler 1baby), we wanted one high chair but it was not provided at the table. When asking in the first place, why not have it at the table when ppl arrive.

The drink menu is nice, they offer many alpine „regional“ brands. However the choice of glass is important if you want to be a restaurant which reflects the alpine culture. I ordered a Ayinger Weisse and was served a Pilsner glass. After mentioning this, I got the correct glass, but it was still warm from the dishwasher. (It also had a wrong size, but then they either need 0.3l glasses or offer more beer). If ordering a $11 beer, please make it a nice experience for the customer. My wife had a cocktail (Leone) which was very good. Other guests enjoyed their Hefeweizen (Weihenstefan) in correct glasses.

We had 2 Wiener Schnitzel. Looked forward to these since you do not see veal schnitzel often at all… In short, one was cut too thick or overcooked - it was tough. The other one was very tender. Overall the meat was prepared well, with the breading bubbling around it (talking about the one not overcooked). If they get the timing right, you have the chance of experiencing a good traditional entree there. „Choice“ of Sauce… there is none. Rahmsauce (Rahm - whipping cream) with mushrooms it is. Many ppl do not like mushrooms, they do not mention the mushrooms on the menu. They will not let you know there are mushrooms on top of the Schnitzel. I knew they did from looking at pictures of the meals and ordered them on the side. They came separately and I was happy about that. Main problem here… offer other traditional sauces! A sauce is made quickly, can be stored and is not too expensive for the restaurant. Zigeunersause? Bratensaft? The Rahmsoße is very good, no doubt. But for ppl who are not into mushrooms it is just not the right choice. I can’t rate the other menu items, didn’t try them,…

Sides. There are three of them. We ordered Spätzle (egg noodles) and Gurkensalat (cucumber salad). The quality of the sides is very good. We enjoyed them, but it is to mention that they are tiny. Spätzle is basically made from eggs and flour with water. It is a staple in alpine kitchen. It needs to be treated as rice is in a China restaurant. Instead, both Spätzle and Salad come in small, cup-like style. It is just not enough for $6. Very pricey, even for todays prices of eggs etc. again, both the Spätzle and the Salad tasted very good.

The kids! Restaurant specialized in alpine culture… and you have buckwheat noodle Mac and Cheese? Why not offer Cheese-Spätzle? Fries? We approached the waiter about kids items on the menu and they decided for the pickled and fried potatoes which are normally served with the fondue. The potatoes were good for use with fondue, but they were salty (pickled) and just not a snack for a kid. They had no ketchup, no mayo. We were not offered anything else and had not order additional side dish Spätzle to accommodate our toddler. Again…you have cheese, you have Spätzle. Voila! Alpine Mac and Cheese! Alpine restaurants offer fries too, they are everywhere. With the right setup you can make them fit the menu, just put alpine herbs on them or something. To add, they served water to our toddler in a normal size glass. No child/toddler sized glass or a plastic option. We did not ask for straws though. They also had to use adult silverware.

Overall our stay was not as enjoyable as it could have been. We did not experience much accommodations for things we mentioned or that were obvious and if the staff tried to accommodate, then they didn’t do a good enough job. We paid $100. One drink each. 2x Wiener Schnitzel +sides. The restaurant suggests tips starting at 20%.